Apparatus for drying or otherwise treating thread or the like



Feb. 6, 1940. A. H. BURKHOLDER 2,139,195

APPARATUS FOR DRYING OR OTHERWISE TREATING THREAD OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 9, 19:57 s she'ets sheet 1 3nnentor (Ittomeg' Feb 6, 1940. BURKHQLD'ER 2,189,195 I APBARATUS FOR DRYING OR OTHERWISE TREATING THREAD OR THE LIKE Y Original FiledMarch 9, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

01.05% h. fiunlmowsn Gttorneg A. H. BURN-{OLDER 2,189,195 I Feb; 6, 1940.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING v0R OTHERWISE TREATINQTHREAD OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 9, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet a v wk Om attorney Patented Feb. 6,1940

UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR DRYING OR OTHERWISE TREATING THREAD OR THE LIKE Alden H. Burkholder, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 9, 1937, Serial No. 129,848 Renewed July 19, 1939 13 Claims. (CI. 34-29) This invention relates to thread treating apparatus and, more particularly,-to thread-storage, thread-advancing devices adapted to dry thread or the like. While the invention may be employed in connection withthe drying of any thread-like material, such as filaments, ribbons, bands, tapes, tubes and the like, all of which are hereinafter comprehended by the term thread", the invention will be described with particular 10 reference to the drying of multiple filament artificial silk thread produced by the viscose process. It will -be understood that the invention may be applied to the drying of thread or the like made by any other process or processes, including the 15 cuprammonium, nitrocellulose, and cellulose acetate processes.

The invention has particular utility in the continuous production of viscose artificial silk thread. In a continuous process, the thread may, after 20 coagulation, be advanced successively over a plurality of thread-storage, thread-advancing devices upon each of which it is subjected to one or more of the necessary processing steps. After completion of the last liquid processing step, the 25 thread contains a considerable amount of moisture which must be removed in order to finish the processing of the thread. In accordance with the present invention, the thread is dried at the same rate at which it is being produced and proc- 30 essed on the apparatus.

The invention contemplates the employment of a thread-storage, thread-advancing device of the type utilized in the several liquid processing steps,

suitably modified, however, for usein the drying 35 of artificial silk thread. The drying apparatus of the present invention does not, therefore, make necessary any material change in the construction of the complete thread-processing apparatus. In its preferred embodiment, the invention utilizes 4.0 a unitary reel of the character disclosed in the copending application of Walter F. Knebusch,

Serial No. 652.089, filed January 16, 1933, which application corresponds to British Patent No.

413,414. Other forms of thread-storage, threadadvancing devices may, however, be employed in lieu thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating several embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 50 is a front elevation of a portion of a thread-processing apparatus embodying a preferred form of drying reel. Figure 2 is a section with parts in elevation on line 2-2 of Figure l, the reels being shown more or less diagrammatically. Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the drying reel shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 4 is a central section with parts in elevation, through the reel shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale along the line 5-,-5 of Figure 2. Figure 6 is a side elevation with parts in section 5 of a different form of thread-storage, threadadvancing device in which the invention is incorporated. Figure 7 is a detail showing the means for supplying heating fluid to the device of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a section with parts in 10 elevation on the line 8-8 of Figure 6. Figure 9 is a front end elevation of the device of Figure 6. Referring first to Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, thread l0 supplied from any suitable source is passed in descending sequence over a number of cantilever thread-storage, thread-advancing devices the last three of which are shown as reels H, l2 and I3. These reels are conveniently disposed in stepped arrangement, as shown, so that the thread-receiving portion of one reel is below the thread-discharge portion ofthe reel next above. A complete thread processing apparatus includes a large number of vertical series of reels arranged side by side, each series handling a single thread. Each series may embrace as many as ten reels, but a larger or smaller number of reels may be employed, as desired.

Upon the reel II the thread may be subjected to a washingtreatment by liquid showered upon the reel from distributor M, the several distributors It being supplied with liquid from a conduit Ma. The washing performed upon reel ll serves to eliminate chemicals which have been employed to treat the thread in the preceding processing steps. The thread next passes over reel It, to which no liquid is shown as being supplied, for the purpose of allowing the excess liquid on the thread to drip therefrom, thereby to reduce the surface moisture as much as possible. The thread is dried upon reel 13, which is interiorly heated in the manner contemplated by the present invention.

Since the general construction and operation is the same for all of the reels shown, a description of reel l3 will sufiice to explain the construction and operation of the other reels.

Reel l3, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, includes a rigid reel member l5 concentrically mounted upon a shaft it which is rotatably supported within a bracket ll fastened to the frame l8 of the apparatus. Upon the exterior of the body portion of reel member l5 are integrally formed a plurality of longitudinally extending bar members 2|. Shaft I6 is geared to shaft I9, which is mounted at an angle to the rear of the several reels of each vertical series. To shaft l9 are also geared the shafts which drive the reels I! and I2. By selecting the proper ratios for the gearing between the reel shafts and shaft IS, the reels may be rotated at the same or at different speeds.

Mounted in offset and inclined relation to concentric reel member I5 is a rigid reel member 22 having bar members 23 which lie between the bar members 2|. Reel member 22 is secured to a bushing 24 which rotates upon a bearing member 25 carried upon the outer end of bracket l1. The outer surface of bracket I1 is eccentric with respect to the bore therethrough. Bearing member 25 is shaped to'give the reel member 23 the desired inclined relationship to reel member |5, with the result that reel members I5 and 22 rotate about axes which are in fact in skew relation to each other. The reel members are retained in assembled relationship by the bolt 26 which secures the reel member l5 on shaft l5.

- Movement of the reel member 22 toward the free end of reel member 5 is prevented by contact with reel member l5 at the bearing surfaces 21.

The offset and inclined relation of the reel members results in advance of the thread in generally helical conformation.

Reels II and I2 need not be and therefore are not provided with means for supplying heat to the interior thereof, but reel l3, which embodies the present invention, is of course provided with such'means. To heat reel l3 according to the principles of the present invention, the body portion of reel member 5 is provided with a longitudinal bore communicating with an internal' enlarged chamber 29. To the same end, shaft l5, which in the case of reel |3 takes the form of a hollow shaft capable of serving as a conduit, extends throughout the length of the reel member l5 and serves to seal the ends of chamber 29.

The interior of shaft l6 communicates in some suitable way with the interior of the chamber 29, as, for example, through openings 30. Within the shaft l6 and extending longitudinally thereof is a coaxially mounted conduit 3| spaced from the shaft l6 by means of sleeve 32. Con

duit 3| communicates with the chamber 28 through openings 33 extending through the walls of conduit 3|, sleeve 32 and shaft l6. To cause a flow of fluid throughout thelength of chamber 29, the openings v3|! and 33 are disposed at opposite ends thereof. Escape of fluid from chamber 29 is prevented by packing gland 40.

Since the shaft l6 and conduit 3| rotate together, means must be provided to establish communication between each of them and the exterior piping without interfering with their rotation. To this end, they extend into a coupling block 34 mounted upon the frame of the apparatus, as shown in Figure 5. Coupling block 34 is divided by a partition 31 into two interior chambers 35 and 36. Chamber 36 is preferably in communication with a fluid supply pipe 38 and chamber 35 is connected to a pipe 39 for the discharge of the fluid. Shaft l6, which communicates with the chamber 35, is sealed by the packing gland 4| against leakage from coupling block 34. Conduit 3| is sealed by packing gland 42 against leakage past partition 31. The fluid may conveniently be hot water, although it is apparent that in special cases steam, heated air or any other temperaturechanging fluid may be utilized, if desired.

The selection of the heating fluid will ordinar- [shaft 48 communicates with cavity 52 ily depend upon the temperature to which it is desired that the reel member l5 shall be heated and the rapidity with which the heat is to be removed therefrom. In order to increase the amount of contact with the thread, bar members 2| may be flared in transverse cross section so as to be wider at their outer surfaces than elsewhere, as shown, for example, in Figure 3. It is desirable that the reel member l5 be made of a metal having a high coeflicient of heat conductivity, such, for example, as aluminum, and it is furthermore desirable that the reel member be a one-piece casting or forging. To maintain the reel at as nearly as possible a constant temperature and to prevent excessive dissipation of heat, it is preferably enclosed with a housing 43. It is important, however, that this housing be open to the atmosphere as, for example, through the screen 44 in the door at the forward end of the housing, this in order to'facilitate the escape of air which has become saturated with moisture.

In operation, the reel is heated by passing fluid through the shaft l6 before the thread is caused to advance thereover. Heating of reel member l5 will necessarily result in heating of reel member 22 due to the proximity of the reel members to each other. After the reel has arrived at the desired temperature, the thread may be applied thereto and caused to advance thereover in generally helical form. In advancing over reel l3, the thread will be heated by direct contact with the bar members 2| and 23 and this direct contact will result in a rapid removal of the moisture. As here shown, the shrinkage of the thread which results from the removal of its moisture is accommodated by a tapering of the, bar members toward the unsupported end of the device in the direction of the advance of the thread.

-The cantilever thread-storage, thread-advancing device of Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, includes two rotatable cylinders 46 and 41, supported from one end thereof by member 45. These rotatable cylinders are separated from each other and their axes 'are disposed in inclined relation inorder to cause helical advance of the thread. Although both cylinders may, as shown, he positively driven, it is sometimes only one of them in a positive manner. It will suflicient to drive be understood that the two rotatable cylinders 46 and 41 together may occupy substantially the same position in the complete thread-processing apparatus'that is occupied by reel 3 in Figures 1 and 2.

Rotatable cylinder is keyed to a hollow driving shaft 48, being retained on the shaft by bolt 49. Within this hollow shaft and extending longitudinally thereof is a conduit ed. to rotate with shaft 48. Conduit 50 and shaft 48 are spaced from each other by a sleeve 5|, which prevents direct communication between them. Conduit 50 communicates with a cavity 52 within rotatable cylinder 46 through one or more openings 53. At the end of cavity 52 opposite opening 53, the interior of hollow through openings 54.

To establish connection with supply pipe 55 and discharge pipe 56 for they heating fluid; e. g., hot water, a coupling block 51 is employed similar to that employed with reel l3.

The interior construction of rotatable cylinder 41 and its mounting is in all respects similar to the construction and mounting of rotatable adaptcavity through the supported end of said rotatcylinder 46, except that shaft 58 for rotatable cylinder 41 passes angularly through member 45, as is shown in Figure 8, to give the desired inclined relation between the axes of rotatable cylinders 46 and 41. Shaft 58 is driven from" shaft 48 of the rotatable member 46, the driving connection being effected by gear 59 secured to shaft 48, a gear 60 afilxed to shaft 58, and an intermediate idler gear 6|. Idler gear ii is rotatably mounted upon a, shaft 61 carried by casting 45. The axis or idler gear 6| is parallel tothe axis of shaft 48; 59 and the teeth upon the portion of gear 6! with which gear 59 meshes may/be spur teeth. Inasmuch as the axis of shaft 58 is at an angle with respect to the axis of shaft 81, the teeth upon gear 60 and the teeth upon gear 6! with which gear 60 meshes may conveniently be of helical form.

By properly proportioning gears 59 and 80 with respect to the portions of gear with which they mesh, rotatable cylinder 48 and rotatable cylinder 41 will have the same peripheral veloclty.

Shaft 58 and its coaxially mounted inner conduit 83 may enter a coupling block 84 similar in construction to coupling block 51. Coupling block 64 is, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, upside down with respect to coupling block 51 so that the discharge pipes 56 and 65 therefrom conveniently may be connected to a common discharge conduit 65. The hot water supply pipe 51 may receive water from the same conduit 68 which supplies pipe 55. In this manner water from the same source will.be supplied to the interiors of rotatable. cylinders 46 and 41, so as to maintain them at the same temperature.

In each of the embodiments of the invention hereinabove disclosed, supply and discharge of the heating fluid is caused to take place through the supported end of the thread-storage, threadadvancing device. Inthis manner, the unsupported ends of 'the rotatable cylinders or reel members, as the case may be, remain unobstructed, thus facilitating access thereto by the operator. Furthermore, by supplying heating the fluid in the manner described, no interference results with the rotation of the cylinders or reel members necessary to enable them to perform their thread-advancing function.

It will be understood that the structures hereinabove described are intended to be illustrative rather than limitative of the invention. It will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications. Departures may be made. from the constructions illustrated without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Thread drying apparatus comprising, in combination, a cantilever thread-storage, t eadadvancing reel having one end thereof w olly unobstructed embodying at least one rotatable thread-advancing member which is supported from one end only thereof, said rotatable thread-advancing member having an imperiorate body portion provided with an internal cavity, and, associated with said rotatable thread-advancing member, means for simultaneously supplying heating fluid to and removing it from said consequently, the teeth upon gear unobstructed able thread-advancing member.

2. Thread drying apparatus comprising, in combination, a cantilever thread-storage, threadadvancing reel having one end thereof wholly unobstructed embodying at least one rotatable thread-advancing member which is supported from one end only thereof said rotatable threadadvancing member having an imperforate body portion provided with an internal cavity, and. associated with said rotatable thread-advancing member, supply and discharge conduits communicating with said cavity for circulating heating fluid from the supported end of said rotatable thread-advancing member, said supply conduit communicating with said cavity toward the unsupported end and said discharge conduit toward the supported end of said rotatable thread-advancing member.

3. Thread drying apparatus comprising, in combination, a cantilever thread-storage, threadadvancing reel having one end thereof wholly embodying at least one rotatable thread-advancing member which is supported from one end only thereof, said rotatable threadadvancing member having an imperforate body portion provided with an internal cavity, and, entering the supported end of said rotatable thread-advancing member, two conduits disposed one within the other for circulating heating fluid through said cavity from the supported end of said rotatable thread-advancing member.

4. Thread drying apparatus comprising a rotatable thread-storage, thread-advancing reel including two interdigitatlng sets of longitudinally extending bar members; a closed, imperiorate hollow body disposed within said bar members; and, disposed one within the other, substantially coaxial supply and discharge conduits for supplying heating fluid to and removing it from said hollow body.

5. Thread drying apparatus comprising a rotatable thread-storage, thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members each of which comprises a plurality of nally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body to which are fixed the bar members of one of said reel members, said body being contained within the periphery of the other reel member; and means for spaced, longitudisupplying heatingv fluid to and removing it from said hollow body.

tatable thread-storage, thread-advancing reel comprising two rotatable reel members, each of which comprises a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body to which are fixed the bar members of one of said reel members, said body being contained within the periphery of the other reel member; and supply and discharge conduits disposed one within the other for circulating heating ,fluid through said hollow body.

'7. Thread drying apparatus comprising a ro-. tatable thread-storage, thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members each of which comprises a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body to which are fixed the bar members of one. of said reel members, said body being contained within the periphery of the other reel member; and means for supplying heating fluid to and removing it from said hollow body, said means providing a flow of heating fluid in said body in a direction opposite to the direction of advance of the thread on the reel.

8. Thread treating apparatus comprising a cantilever thread-storage, thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members, each of which comprises a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body to which are fixed the bar members of one of said reel members, said body being contained within the periphery defined by the bar members of the other reel member; means for supporting said reel members from one end only thereof, the other end of the structure formed by said reel members being unsupported and unobstructed; and means for supplying a temperature-changing fluid to and removing it from said hollow the supported end of the reel.

9. Thread treating apparatus comprising a cantilever thread-storage, thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members each of which comprises a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body to which are fixed the bar members of one of said reel members, said body being contained within the periphery defined by the bar members of the other reel member; means for supporting said reel j members from one end only thereof, the other end of the structure formed by said reel members being unsupported and unobstructed; and means for supplying a temperature-changing fluid to and removing it from said hollow body through the supported end of the reel, said means com-' prising supply and discharge conduits disposed one within the other substantially coaxially of the reel.

10. Thread treating apparatus comprising a cantilever thread-storage, thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members each of which comprises a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body to which are fixed the bar members of one of said reel members, said body being contained within the periphery defined by the bar members of the other reel member; means for supporting said reel members from one end only thereof, the other end of the structure formed by said reel members being unsupported and unobstructed; and means for supplying a temperature-changing fluid to and removing it from said hollow body, said means supplying said temperature changbody through ing fluid to said hollow body toward the unsupported end and removing it from said hollow body toward the supported end of the reel.

11. Thread-treating apparatus comprising a cantilever thread-storage thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members each of which comprises a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed: a closed, imperforate hollow body disposed within the periphery defined by the bar members of said reel members; means for supporting said reel members from one end only thereof, the other end of the structure formed by said reel members being unsupported and unobstructed; and means for supplying temperature-changing fluid to and removing it from said hollow body through the supported end of saidreel.

12. Thread-treating apparatus comprising a cantilever thread-storage thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members each of which comprises a, plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body disposed within the periphery defined by. the bar members of said reel members; means for supporting said reel members from one end only thereof, the other end of the structure formed by said reel members being unsupported and unobstructed; and means for supplying temperature-changing fluid to and removing it from said hollow body through the supported end of the reel, said means comprising supply and discharge conduits disposed one within the other substantially coaxially of the reel.

13. Thread-treating apparatus comprising a cantilever thread-storage thread-advancing reel embodying two rotatable reel members each of which comprises a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members, the bar members of said reel members being alternately disposed; a closed, imperforate hollow body disposed within the periphery defined by the bar members of said reel members; means for supporting said reel members from one end only thereof, the other end of the structure formed by said reel members being unsupported and unobstructed; and means for supplying temperature-changing fluid to and removing it from said hollow body through the supported end of the reel, said means comprising conduits disposed one within the other substantially coaxially of the reel in such manner that the inner conduit communicates with the interior of said hollow body toward the unsupported end of the reel and the outer con-- duit communicates with the interior of said hollow body toward the supported end of the reel.

' ALDEN H. BURKHOLDER. 

